Sun Salutation, Variation 1

This targets all your major muscles. It builds on the Sun Salutation series. Use your breath to move deeper into each pose.

Sun salutation variation 1. Stand tall with your feet together and your arms by your sides. Take a deep breath and raise your arms over your head into mountain pose. Now, sweep your arms sideways, exhaling as you swan dive forward into the forward bend. Bend your hips until your fingertips touch the floor and align with your toes. Now, move into the flat back by inhaling as you raise your torso to waist height, reaching with your tailbone away from the top of your head. Jump both feet backwards as you move into the downward dog. Tabletop to half push-up: From the downward dog, come into tabletop pose with your knees on the floor beneath your hips and your hands in line with your shoulders. With your arms close to your sides, bend your elbows 45 degrees in a half push-up. Repeat this move 8 times. Be sure to contract your abs and keep your head aligned with your spine. Get into the tabletop position. Bring your tailbone back towards your heels, resting your thighs on your calves in child's pose. Hold this pose for a few breaths while you feel the stretch through your shoulders and back. Now, return from child's pose to tabletop, and then back to downward dog. Next, step forward into a flat back and then bed low into a forward bend and with a reverse swan dive, up into mountain pose.